Bob, Thanks for the heads-up to the rest of us. I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune. That is definitely a situation I hope to never find myself in.
I hope your holidays are enjoyable, despite your injury. Doug Plotner #6494 Dawg Daze -----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Dec 21, 2005 9:55 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: catalina27-talk: Winter - a time to rest and plan for another summer > >Now I know the real meaning of "On the Hard." > >Here's a lesson to be passed on, so that others don't do it the wrong way. > >Sunday evening after Thanksgiving, the weather forecast was for light snow by >mid-week. >So, having put a 30x20 tarp over the boat in early November, and left the >back open so the the deck could "cook" the moisture out of the deck before >freezing-thawing cycles opened up things - I put a ladder up against the >transom, >climbed up and started to put a small tarp over the rear life railing with a >small air gap at the top for ventilation. > >As I was holding onto the life rail and leaning over to tie the tarp to the >life rail, the top of the ladder slipped the other way, I fell to the "Hard." >Yes, I had violated rule number one about putting ladders against slippery >fiberglass - tie the top of the ladder to something. Fortunatley, I tried to >hold >onto the life rail, so fell kind of vertical about eight feet to the "Hard." > >As I lay on the ground in semi-shock, I was thinking things like "you dumb - >- - " and then about football players on TV waiting for the haze to clear, >etc. > >The haze cleared as usual, but I realized that my left foot keep hurting. I >tried to get up, but the heel hurt like - - - . So I then told my help-mate in >life that we needed to visit the local emergency room. The ER folks were >sympathetic. An x-ray disclosed that probably only the heel bone was broken. I >was >lucky, kind of. > >An operation later, a plate and seven 2" long screws later - - I'm told that >the recovery period is about three to four months, if I'm fortunate - if I >don't get an infection from the hospital stay, and circulation is good, etc. - >- >just in time for golf and getting the sailboat ready for another season. > >So, I'll meditate on life in Northern Ohio, missed winter sports (both >outdoor and indoor), and plan on appreciating and enjoying life with a >Catalina 27 >in the water the summer. > >So, I'll add to the old saying about staying away from shore when in a storm >- the following - Be very careful when more than two feet above the ground >when your boat is on the "Hard." > >Oh yes, the x-ray technicians love to make you feel better by telling one >about folks who had it worse than you: >1. The guy who slide down a ladder about fifteen feet and broke both heel >bones. He couldn't put weight on either heel for three months. >2. The guy who fell off when standing on a plastic bucket that collapsed, and >rotated to hit his shoulder on a concrete floor. The essential bones were all >broken. He still can't lift much with that arm (like a razor, etc.) > >So, count your blessings, plan for safety in all things. Anticipate the >unusual. Don't hurry. > >Peace to all, > >Bob
